Movie Review: The Cry of the Owl DVD

Based on the novel by Patricia Highsmith The Cry of the Owl is a psychological thriller starring Paddy Considine and Julia Stiles that looks at the depths a man will go to when he is involved in betrayal and murder.

Film making 10/25
Video 18/25
Audio 18/25
Bonus Features 0/25
Total 46/100

From the same talented writer of the Talented Mr. Ripley we get The Cry of the Owl, but the 2009 film version just does not deliver the same magic or storytelling. The Cry of the Owl stars Paddy Considine as Robert Forrester, a talented draftsman who has fled the big city during his nasty divorce.

During the divorce it is quite obvious that the soon to be ex-wife is a definite suspect but when the movie starts we see Robert watching from the dark woods while Jenny, played by Julia Stiles is washing dishes. He is watching not because he wants to see her as a sexual object but he sees the normality of her life, or at least that is what he wants.

With his marriage eroding and soon to be finalized as a divorce he seeks a more normal life and watches Jenny as she does things that appear to be the normal life he seeks. When she finds him watching her another night she listens as he explains what he is doing and why so she invites him in to talk.

Jenny breaks things off with her boyfriend who conspires with Roberts ex to bring pain and trouble to Robert as well as Jenny. When Jenny commits suicide after finding out more of what is going on this just adds to the pain that Robert endures along with a murder investigation.

After Jenny's boyfriend attacks Robert he leaves him beside a river because Robert is afraid the boyfriend will attack him further. A few days later the boyfriend is missing and the police only have Robert to blame so they start looking at him for a murder, even finding a body badly beat and unrecognizable.
By the end of the movie a few surprises and revelations are shown but we constantly have faith that Robert is just a victim. The Cry of the Owl is missing something but could have been a great film with the story that had already been made into one film and a newer version could have worked.

The film is definitely missing something and direction seems to be it as they have the story that works and good actors so the only thing missing is someone to piece it all together. The Cry of the Owl was pretty good but just misses the mark a few times in that gut feeling of believability.

The story is here but they handle a few things oddly that add up after time and before the end credits roll you do want to see what happens enough to watch. You just don't care that much other than to see what happens to poor Robert in the end but you never do get there.

The standard DVD release of The Cry of the Owl has pretty good video and audio but nothing for additional bonus features for a lack of extra content. The video looks good with great night time shooting with very believable lighting so you can see enough when Robert is skulking around in the dark.

Audio is Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound that works well and sounds good but the film just lacks that direction to pull everything together. The Cry of the Owl just is not worth a purchase but if you are interested a rental would not be out of the question.